LONDON'S CABBIES PROTEST

A major protest by London's black cabbies is taking place in the British capital against rival service Uber.

The London demo is taking place at the same time as similar protests in other European cities.

Many of London's black cab drivers feel the mobile app Uber is unregulated and represents unfair competition.

But are heading towards the demise of London's iconic black taxi?

London correspondent Olly Barratt reports.

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At the centre of the row is the London cabbie's claim that the Uber app has a GPS tracking system which calculates the passenger's fare based on the time and distance of the journey - and that this is for all intents and purposes a taxi meter, which only black cabs are regulated to use in London.

Steve Mcnamara from the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association says London authorities and Mayor Boris Johnson aren't doing their job.

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But with cabbies expressing fears for their livelihoods - Boris Johnson insists the American firm UBER is not a threat to their existence.

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Uber now serves more than 100 cities in 37 countries and has 3000 registered drivers here in London.

Its supporters say it is an example of a 'positive disruptive technology' and the Institute of Directors have compared this protest to machine-breakers who tried to stop the spread of the power loom in the 19th century.

Steve Garralick is President of the GMB union's Professional Drivers' Branch says it's more than that and that cabbies are operating in an unfair environment now.

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But cabbies have also fallen out with police over a lack of communication about their protest plans in London.

Chief Superintendent Pippa Mills says protests have to be agreed in advance.

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Steve McNamara says that's just not feasible.

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Meanwhile, the protest is providing publicity in London for Uber that it could only have dreamed of.

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